History of Delhi

The capital city of India – Delhi was ruled by some powerful emperors. It has an extensive historical background which is as old as the greatest Indian epic Mahabharata. Delhi was formerly known as Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas. Over five centuries, Delhi witnessed political disorder. After the Khiljis and Tughlaqs, Delhi was ruled by the Mughals.

In 1206, the Sultanate of Delhi was established after the Afghan army of Muhammad of Ghori captured the Rajput town by defeating Prithviraj Chauhan in the year 1192. The Sultanate ended in 1398, after Taimur invaded Delhi. The last sultans of Delhi were the Lodis. After the battle of Panipat, Babur founded the Mughal Empire in 1526. Agra was the most preferred capital of the Mughal emperors earlier. It was then only when Shah Jahan built the walls of Old Delhi in 1638, Delhi became the permanent capital of the Mughals.

The administration of the city kept changing as different rulers (both the Hindu Kings and Muslim Sultans) ruled the city. The soil of Delhi witnessed love, sacrifices and bloodsheds for the country. The old forts and palaces of Delhi stand silent and tell stories of past.

The British took over the city’s administration in the year 1803 AD. The British then shifted their capital to Delhi from Calcutta in 1911, making it the center of governing activities. The city has the record of overpowering and throwing the administrator from their throne. The same procedure continued from the British era till the current political parties of free India.

New Delhi was officially declared as the capital of India in the year 1947, after the independence.